The house was much busier now than it had been earlier. The backyard was full of tables and chairs and people in fancy clothes drinking fancy drinks and talking about things that Aaden knew nothing about.

He had never felt so out of place or overwhelmed in all his life. But when he looked at Kathleen she looked the same way he felt and he took comfort knowing that she wasn't comfortable living this kind of life either. He would do anything he had to in order to make her happy but it relieved him knowing that hanging out with all these stuffy people didn't make her happy.

The day passed quickly and Aaden never did get another chance to sit down with Kathleen alone and tell her how he felt. It was time for dinner and Aaden looked around the large dining room for Kathleen. He saw her walk in and realized she'd been upstairs and changed her clothes.

His jaw nearly dropped to the floor. She was wearing a bright red halter dress that came to her knees. The neckline plunged low and he felt his mouth go dry at the sight of her cleavage. She had her hair pulled high on her head though a few loose tendrils were hanging down her neck and around her face. She had on a pair of dangling diamond earrings that caught the candlelight in the room when she turned her head.

She was stunning. He left the room quickly before she could see him. He couldn't very well be at dinner looking the way he did when she looked so incredible.

He ran up to their room and changed into another pair of black trousers and a black button up dress shirt. He had even bought a black sport coat… though he wasn't sure why it was called a sport coat since you could barely move your arms in the damn thing. He pulled it on and then wet down his messy brown hair and combed it back. He pulled on his black leather shoes and took a look in the mirror.

He was just a plain old country boy but he cleaned up pretty damn nice if he did say so himself. He walked back down to the dining room to find that everyone was already seated and that they were laughing… Everyone except Kathleen was laughing anyway.

"Left you already did he, Kathy?" Tom asked. "Should have known that old poor boy wouldn't really want to be with you." Aaden walked up to the table then and Kathleen's eyes lit up when she saw him. He leaned down to kiss her cheek before sitting beside her. Everyone at the table turned their attention to other things and got lost in their own conversations.

"Sorry I'm late." Aaden said to Kathleen. She smiled.

"You look very handsome." she said. He nodded.

"I know I do. I look just like the man in black himself." he said. She laughed lightly and then his eyes turned more serious.

"You look gorgeous tonight, Kathleen." he said. She blushed.

"Christy helped me find the dress.. .Of course after she saw you at the apartment that day she quit saying we were shopping for eat your heart out and make you wish you were dead clothes. Instead we were shopping for make mr. tall, dark and handsome fall in love with me clothes."

"That dress would certainly get that done.. But uh.. If Mr. tall, dark and handsome tries to hit on you while I'm around I'll have to kick his ass." Aaden said with a grin.

"She was talking about you…. Sometimes she lets her imagination get away with her. I told her that you and I are just friends."

"So I'm the Mr. tall dark and handsome that you were hoping to get to fall in love with you by wearing that dress?" She blushed and shook her head.

"No..I…" she wasn't sure what to say so just blushed deeper while she stuttered.

"Because you didn't need that dress to do that.. I'm already there." he said. Kathleen's eyes widened but she didn't get a chance to reply to his confession before Tom interrupted their conversation from across the table.

"Kathy, I don't believe I've ever seen you in a dress quite like that one." He said. Katherine didn't reply. "Why if it wasn't for that horrible scar on your face and that bit of weight you've put on you would look absolutely stunning." Kathleen laid her hand on Aaden's leg to silence him before he had a chance to speak and she smiled at Tom.

"Thank you, Tom. And maybe one day when you go through puberty, grow facial hair and hit your growth spurt you will be able to pass off as a half decent man of course you'll have to have that giant mole removed from your left ass cheek." Aaden and several other people at the table laughed but Tom and her mother and father all glared at her angrily.

"That is hardly an appropriate way to speak at the dinner table." Charles scolded.

"Yes and I do not have a mole on my ass cheek." Tom snapped. Kathleen bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"I'm sorry mom and dad. I will think more carefully about what I say next time." she said matter of factly. They nodded and everyone went back to their own conversations.

"So what were you saying?" Kathleen asked looking back at Aaden. He smiled and was about to reply when Tom cut in again.

"I didn't know poor ignorant rednecks like yourself could afford clothes like that." Tom said to Aaden. Aaden grinned.

"You know you are really starting to get on my nerves." he said. Kathleen was sure Tom was going to explode with anger.

"Well you're getting on my nerves!" Tom yelled as silence fell over the dining room. "What the hell are you doing here anyway! You have nothing to offer Kathy! You are nothing but a stupid little redneck who doesn't even have a pot to piss in if that beat up hunk of junk truck you are driving is any indication! You've done nothing but try to insult me and make me look bad since you got here and I should just kick your ass and be done with it!"

Kathleen's eyes widened and she looked over at Aaden. He looked calm as he stared over at Tom. It was several long tense silent moments before he spoke.

"Friend, I believe your mouth is writing checks that your ass just ain't gonna be able to cash." he said. Tom's eyes narrowed.

"What the hell does that even mean? I have more money than you could ever dream of and if you don't get out of here now I'm gonna kick your ass!" Aaden chuckled.

"You better bring a couple big friends." he said. No one had time to react before Tom launched himself across the table at Aaden. Aaden's chair toppled backward and he and Tom landed in a heap on the floor. Aaden was on his feet first and jerked Tom up by the jacket of his suit.

"Let go of me!" Tom yelled. Aaden did and then stood there looking down at him as the guests watched in mixed states of horror and disbelief. Kathleen called for Edward and he walked over.

"Would you get our suitcases ready and bring them down. I believe we're going to be leaving very soon." she said. He smiled, nodded and quickly walked away.

"How dare you lay hands on me!" Tom said trying to dust off his jacket. Aaden shrugged.

"I ain't the one that came leaping across the table like some kind of pissed of leprechaun." he said.

"I think maybe, Aaden, that you should leave now." Charles said. Aaden looked around the room and nodded.

"I think you're right." he said matter-of-factly. Just then Edward walked back to the door of the dining room and signaled at Kathleen that the bags were ready. She nodded and stood up. She grabbed Aaden's arm .

"Let's get out of here." she said. "You don't belong with these people." She looked at Tom as he nodded in agreement. "Aaden is too good of a man to waste his time spending it with people like you." she added. Tom's brown eyes flashed.

"You talk real tough now that you've got that overgrown ogre next to you." he said.

"Is he talking about me?" Aaden asked leaning down. Kathleen smiled.

"Yep." she said. Tom couldn't believe this was happening. Kathleen was again choosing this Aaden over him and now they were both laughing at him. They were making a fool out of him in front of everyone.

"You heard Charles, Aaden. Take your bitch and get out of here." Tom spat. That was the last thing he had a chance to say before Aaden's fist came down hard on his face. Tom fell in an unconscious heap to the floor and all the guests yelled and jumped to their feet.

"Out now!" Charles bellowed. Kathleen looked in disbelief at Tom lying at her feet and started pulling Aaden to the door. Edward handed them their suitcases.

"Mighty good show, Aaden. It's about time somebody taught that insufferable bastard his place." he said.

"Edward!" Kathleen said in shock. Edward shrugged and bowed slightly.

"I apologize for my language, miss Kathleen, but that man never did treat you right and it's about time he was made to pay for it. Even though he deserves much worse then what he got." Kathleen felt tears come to her eyes and she hugged Edward tight.

"Goodbye." she said and she walked out the door and to the truck with Aaden on her heels.

They drove for a while in silence and finally Kathleen looked over at him.

"I can't believe you did that." she said.

"Did what?" he asked keeping his eyes on the road.

"Got in a fight with Tom." she replied.

"Wasn't much of fight. I kind of feel guilty really.. Like I beat up a midget." Kathleen laughed despite herself.

"You hit him." she said.

"Of course I did!" he said growing defensive. "You heard what he called you. Ain't nobody gonna call you that in front of me and get away with it."

"Tom is a lawyer you know…" Aaden laughed. "It's not funny, Aaden, he could have you put in jail." Aaden laughed louder.

"Wouldn't be the first time." he said finally. She looked at him wide-eyed.

"You've punched people and been thrown in jail before?" she asked. He chuckled.

"Like I said it wouldn't be the first time. And let me say it was worth it more this time than it was those other times."

"Times? It's happened more than once?" she asked. He shrugged and didn't answer.

"I almost peed myself when you called him a pissed off leprechaun." she said finally. He smiled and winked over at her.

"I love making you laugh. You have a great laugh" he said. She blushed and pushed a stray hair behind her ear. He chuckled when she yawned loudly into her hand.

"Are you tired?" he asked. She bit her lip and gave him a guilty grin.

"Yes. Dealing with my family tends to do that to me." she replied. He patted his shoulder.

"Get some rest. I know the way back home." he said matter-of-factly. Kathleen looked out at the sunset and bit her lip. She wished he would say something about his confession he had made to her at dinner. Maybe she had just misunderstood him then.. Maybe he had only been teasing and flirting.

She lay her head down on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She had been married to Tom for nine long years and in nine years she had never felt the things for him that she was feeling in her heart for Aaden. Aaden was funny, he was kind. He had saved her life four months ago and he had even defended her honor with her family and her ex-husband. He really was like a knight in shining armor… Her champion… Standing beside her and keeping her safe from all those who would do her harm.

She should just tell him about her feelings for him. She should just tell him how incredible she thought he was. But what if that scared him away? She did not want to feel the pain of his rejection. Tom's rejection over the years had hurt and she loved Aaden more than she had ever loved Tom.. She could only imagine the pain that losing him would cause.

She sighed and scooted her body closer to his before drifting off to sleep.

Aaden was sure that he had never been happier in his life than he was at this moment with her head lying on his shoulder and her quiet little snores the only sound in the truck. Aaden had always believed that when he met the one he would know instantly and he knew that Kathleen was that one he'd been waiting for.

It was as if God himself had delivered this perfect angel of a woman to him four months ago when he had pulled her from her crumpled car. Aaden had let her go then because the timing had not been right but then she had come back to him when she had dialed his number that Friday night. He had no intention of ever letting her go again.

If he could have his way he would pull this car over in the next town they came to, go straight to the courthouse and marry her tonight but he knew that she had been hurt in the past.. He knew that she probably had trust issues when it came to men and so he wanted to give her time.. He wanted her to know that his feelings for her were true and pure and that he would never hurt her. Not for anything in this world.